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Luis M. Alvarez/AP
As the World Cup hurtles toward its conclusion, the cash registers are starting to ring louder. It's no wonder -- the tournament is unarguably the most popular sporting event on the globe, and its economy is massive.

That applies not only to FIFA, which that runs the every-four-years global soccer tournament and stands to rake in a total of roughly $4 billion from various revenue streams. The World Cup's business ecosystem also includes a host of prominent companies. Here's a look at a few.

Disney

At first blush, soccer isn't a sport that lends itself to TV advertising windfalls. Unlike the big, break-filled American sports, "the beautiful game" is played in two uninterrupted halves. This only leaves room to pack in ads at halftime and before and after the contest.

But the event's audience is huge -- all told, more than 18 million watched the English-language telecast of the U.S. side's heartbreaking tie with Portugal during the group stage match on June 22.

That audience has become more desirable for advertisers competing for those limited slots. This is a boon for media giant Disney (DIS), which is broadcasting most of the matches on ESPN and will air the final Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern time on ABC.

Earlier this year, Disney said interest from advertisers was strong, leading it to predict "significantly greater" sales when compared to the 2010 World Cup (for which it also held U.S. broadcast rights).

That's saying something -- ESPN booked a 31 percent climb in ad revenue for the quarter the 2010 tournament was broadcast. We can probably expect a comparable pop -- at least -- from Disney for this quarter as well.

Nike/Adidas

Even the toughest World Cup matches have nothing on the bruising fight between sports outfit monsters Nike (NKE) and Adidas (ADDYY). The two companies are almost neck-and-neck in what's possibly the most visible advertising medium of them all -- team apparel.

Of the 32 sides in the World Cup, 10 teams sport Nike's "swoosh" logo, including perennial powerhouse Brazil and the United States. And Adidas has also gone native, sponsoring the German national team, plus 2010 winner Spain (eliminated in the group round), top contender Argentina and six others.

Both companies will almost certainly do brisk business in replica player jerseys. In addition to sponsoring teams, they also have numerous deals with star players.

In the big-ticket match between the two, though, the smart money is more likely on Nike, which is spending its sponsorship money purely on teams and players. This will help the company save money for the more active marketing it favors. Contrast that to Adidas, which is reportedly shelling out something between $25 million and $50 million a year to be a partner for the entire tournament, in addition to sponsoring a raft of teams.

Ambev

Brazil, the 2014 World Cup's host country, is Latin America's top consumer of beer -- by far -- in total volume. Ambev (ABEV), which commands 68 percent of the Brazilian market, stands to gain handsomely from its fellow citizens either drowning their collective sorrows or celebrating their team's fortunes in the tournament.

That should help the company maintain the good earnings momentum it's enjoyed lately; in its most recently reported quarter, Ambev's net sales rose by nearly 17 percent on a year-over-year basis to just over 9 billion reais ($4.1 billion). Bottom line, meanwhile, advanced by 9 percent to 2.6 billion reais ($1.2 billion).

Ambev's victory in the tournament will be an international one -- the company is majority owned by global megabrewer Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD). Brazil accounts for nearly one-quarter of Anheuser-Busch InBev's revenue.

Cable and satellite TV can run you a pretty penny -- especially if you fall prey to companies' cleverly crafted package deals. You really adore the programming on Channel XYZ, but you can only get it if you upgrade to the higher-tier package, which is an extra $20 a month and has dozens of channels you never look at. Found another provider who offers a better deal? Get ready to be socked with early termination fees by your current provider -- and for your new provider's fantastic deal to run out once you're not a new customer anymore.

The average American watches five hours of TV a day -- 1,825 hours a year. Think of all the other things you could be doing with that time to earn extra money. You could get a second job, start your own business, go back to school, or improve your skill set so you can qualify for a higher-paying job.

Excessive TV watching has been linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression and even a shorter lifespan. And the cost of treating a long-term health issue is rarely cheap -- in terms of money or happiness.

Kids aren't the only ones susceptible to the "I want it!" syndrome caused by too much TV advertising. No matter how savvy and impenetrable to marketing you think you are, companies invest millions of dollars in television ads for a reason -- because they work. Being pelted with tempting commercials for products and services takes its toll on your money mindset. It's easy to fall into the consumer trap when you're constantly being shown shiny new things guaranteed to make your life better.

Do you love watching the glamorous lifestyles on "Real Housewives"? Drool over the spacious properties on "House Hunters?" TV is a form of voyeurism that allows us to peek into the lifestyles of those richer and more famous -- and it can leave us dissatisfied with what we have because we get so used to seeing those who have more. This can result in us making purchases we can't really afford because we're trying to keep up with those televised Joneses.

In a similar vein, TV can make us feel dissatisfied with our appearance. Compared to the gorgeous, flawless people we see on shows and commercials, it's easy to find 101 ways our looks don't add up. Seeing nothing but an idealized standard of beauty on screen can drive us to spend tons to try to make our own appearances match, from jumping on the latest fashion bandwagon, buying whatever cream is the new hot development, or even springing for surgery to physically remake ourselves.

Snacking and TV watching often go hand in hand, and when your attention is focused on a show, it can be easy to down a whole bag of chips before you realize what you're doing. Combine that with the fact that TV watching is a sedentary activity, and you've got the makings for a much bigger cost than just that bag of chips. (See No. 3.)

While TV engages our attention, it doesn't engage our brains, at least not the way that reading, continuing education and real-life problem-solving does. It's a largely passive form of entertainment that can leave us feeling lazy, sluggish and unfocused. And that lack of mental energy can take a toll when it comes to things like our job performance, our drive to start that new business, or our willingness to get out and network our way to our next great job.